SpaceX News

Point out news stories, on the net or in mainstream media, related to polywell fusion.

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Betruger
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Re: SpaceX News

Post by Betruger »

So they don't actually destroy it with explosive.
There was no explosive termination device. Instead, the flight termination sequence is thrust termination combined with some valves that are opened. That caused the destructive sequence you saw.
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index. ... msg1248573
You can do anything you want with laws except make Americans obey them. | What I want to do is to look up S. . . . I call him the Schadenfreudean Man.

ladajo
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Location: North East Coast

Re: SpaceX News

Post by ladajo »

It was already exploding. That is what rockets do. They just redirected the energy flow paths and urgency.
The development of atomic power, though it could confer unimaginable blessings on mankind, is something that is dreaded by the owners of coal mines and oil wells. (Hazlitt)
What I want to do is to look up C. . . . I call him the Forgotten Man. (Sumner)

Betruger
Posts: 2321
Joined: Tue May 06, 2008 11:54 am

Re: SpaceX News

Post by Betruger »

Engins shut down doesnt stop flows on an F9R-D? At some point, isn't the plan to simulate F9R meco/staging etc with a momentary F9R-Dev shutdown and restart?
You can do anything you want with laws except make Americans obey them. | What I want to do is to look up S. . . . I call him the Schadenfreudean Man.

williatw
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Location: Ohio

Re: SpaceX News

Post by williatw »

Battle of the Heavyweight Rockets – SLS could face Exploration Class rival


Image
Monster Rockets:

With the recent announcement the Space Launch System (SLS) has become challenged by her schedule, the NASA rocket may soon find herself in a battle with a commercial “alternative”. SpaceX’s super powerful Exploration Class rocket is targeting crewed missions to Mars up to 10 years ahead of SLS – although both vehicles continue to avoid being classed as competitors.
SpaceX is expected to build a family of Super Heavy Lift Launch Vehicles (SHLVs) driven by nine Raptor “full flow methane-liquid oxygen” rocket engines.

While the plans are still being refined, to the point that only sketchy details have been provided, the Raptor engine is already preparing to test components at NASA’s Stennis Space Center.

“Raptor is a very large LOX/methane engine which we are working on as a follow-on to Falcon Heavy, a Super Heavy if you will, but I don’t think we’re calling it that,” noted Dragon V2 Program Lead Dr. Garrett Reisman to the Future In-Space Operations (FISO) Working Group this week.

“It’s currently undergoing component testing at Stennis. Starting injector testing and other component testing. We’re deep into the design process and component testing.”

Sources note that component design has progressed to the 3D printing stage, ahead of a test regime at the E-2 test stand at Stennis, which has been upgraded to allow for the use of methane.

The SpaceX Super Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle (SHLV) – which does not yet have an official name, but is widely known in the space community as the BFR (Big ‘Frakking’ Rocket) – would be very big and very powerful indeed.
In a rare insight into the vehicle, SpaceX Vice President (VP) of Propulsion Development Tom Mueller – speaking at the “Exploring the Next Frontier: The Commercialization of Space is Lifting Off” event earlier this year in Santa Barbara, California – revealed the Raptor engine had already mutated to a 1Mlbf (4,500kN) gas-gas (full flow) liquid methane and oxygen engine.

Mr. Mueller then later updated his numbers at a follow-on conference to portray 6,900 kN of sea-level thrust, and 8,200 kN of vacuum
SpaceX’s monster rocket will utilize nine Raptor engines on a 10 meter diameter core, with the potential to advance the vehicle to a triple core. Other options are understood to include 12.5m and 15m cores, although those focus on the single core HLV.

The eventual goal would be to allow for a rocket capable of lofting the MCT spacecraft, transporting 100 colonists at a time to Mars. The launch system would also be fully reusable.

Such a colonization effort would be be deep into the future. However, the initial launch of the first Raptor-driven BFR could occur before the end of the decade.

While that is a highly ambitious time scale, it would result in the BFR debuting close to the time NASA’s SLS will be conducting test flights.




http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2014/08/ ... ion-rival/

williatw
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Location: Ohio

Re: SpaceX News

Post by williatw »

Not really that related, but I couldn't resist...always wondered what would have happened if ole Neal Armstrong instead of those inspiring famous words, had instead after planting the US flag had claimed the moon as territory of the United States of America (1967 Treaty be damned).


Jockey “Supporting Greatness”




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YTYvji3gXU

hanelyp
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Re: SpaceX News

Post by hanelyp »

In the absence of law, property "belongs" to whoever can hold on to it. If the US claimed the moon as territory, what measures would it be willing and able to expend to uphold the claim, and what measures would other countries make to protest it? A competing nation landing a probe or planting an outpost would raise a lot less outrage than live fire to contest the action.
The daylight is uncomfortably bright for eyes so long in the dark.

williatw
Posts: 1912
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Location: Ohio

Re: SpaceX News

Post by williatw »

hanelyp wrote:In the absence of law, property "belongs" to whoever can hold on to it. If the US claimed the moon as territory, what measures would it be willing and able to expend to uphold the claim, and what measures would other countries make to protest it? A competing nation landing a probe or planting an outpost would raise a lot less outrage than live fire to contest the action.

Yes it would have caused quite a dust-up..my guess is by now the U.S., Russians, and maybe even the Chinese would have lunar bases by now. Ego, national pride, if they have a "piece of the rock" we gotta have one too. It would have gotten us out into space is my point. Airy idealistic words like common heritage of mankind, or one small step for a man etc., just doesn't get the juices going in the old reptilian brain like appeals to territorial instincts do.

Maui
Posts: 586
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2008 12:10 am
Location: Madison, WI

Re: SpaceX News

Post by Maui »

Reddit user luke_in_the_sky made this using a pic of last night's launch: http://i.imgur.com/0gv56oV.jpg

Pretty neat.

Maui
Posts: 586
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2008 12:10 am
Location: Madison, WI

Re: SpaceX News

Post by Maui »

Word on the street is that NASA will award Boeing the commercial crew contract. Will be interesting to see if Spacex is shut out completely or whether they are thrown a bone. If they are shut out completely, what does this mean for Spacex? Do they continue developing the Dragon 2?

EDIT: Actually, according this, Spacex will get in on the deal:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the ... nd-spacex/

zapkitty
Posts: 267
Joined: Fri Apr 09, 2010 8:13 pm

Re: SpaceX News

Post by zapkitty »

Seems to be a fair competition... both companies to fly a NASA astronaut to ISS somewhere around 2017 with options for the companies to launch up to six more flights before NASA starts awarding actual crew transport contracts.

SpaceX - $2.6 billion
Boeing - $4.2 billion

Both reusable vertical landers.... well, the Boeing design is more of a vertical plopper :)

The Dream Chaser spaceplane didn't make it...

GIThruster
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Re: SpaceX News

Post by GIThruster »

I'm not following how the contract seems fair. I thought Boeing hadn't even man rated their rocket yet. IIUC, they still don't have a gantry for the Delta. Why did they get such a large piece of the pie?
"Courage is not just a virtue, but the form of every virtue at the testing point." C. S. Lewis

AcesHigh
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Joined: Wed Mar 25, 2009 3:59 am

Re: SpaceX News

Post by AcesHigh »

because a fair competitive capitalist system is just as much an utopia as a working communist system. We just have to work with our flawed systems...

birchoff
Posts: 200
Joined: Sun Jul 27, 2014 7:11 pm

Re: SpaceX News

Post by birchoff »

GIThruster wrote:I'm not following how the contract seems fair. I thought Boeing hadn't even man rated their rocket yet. IIUC, they still don't have a gantry for the Delta. Why did they get such a large piece of the pie?
What I am hearing is spacex bid was much lower than the total size of the contract.

Maui
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Location: Madison, WI

Re: SpaceX News

Post by Maui »

Well certainly I bet $2.6B goes a lot further at Spacex than $4.2B goes at Boeing.

Maui
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Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2008 12:10 am
Location: Madison, WI

Re: SpaceX News

Post by Maui »

birchoff wrote:What I am hearing is spacex bid was much lower than the total size of the contract.
Indeed:
Lueders said the different amounts set aside for the two companies were based on the amounts proposed by the companies themselves.
http://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/bo ... is-n204706

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